A Q&A with George Daugherty, Creator and Conductor of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II
George Daugherty, the creator and conductor of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II, spoke with the NJSO about the upcoming show. For more information on Daugherty, click here.
Do you think kids knew they were listening to classical music while watching cartoons?
No. Actually, I don’t think most kids, watching on Saturday morning, knew they were listening to classical music. But the music did draw them in completely and totally, and that was the important thing. And of course, we have to remember that these cartoons were not originally made for kids, and were not made for Saturday morning. They were made for the movie theaters of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, and largely for adults, many of whom I think DID get the musical double entendres. That was part of what made these cartoons so comically perfect.
But either by kids or adults, all audiences knew this music was very special, and very different from other cartoons of the era. And when Looney Tunes came to Saturday morning television in the 1960s, a whole new generation of fans—not only for the cartoons but for the music—was born. People constantly tell me they were drawn to the music as kids, even though they didn’t understand it was based on classical composers. (Which is sort of the magic of it all.) The cartoons are so brilliant, the music is handled so brilliantly and practically every kid in America and Canada got their first exposure to classical music from these incredible cartoons. Wagner, Rossini, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, Strauss, Von Suppe, Donizetti, Mendelssohn—they are ALL in these cartoons—and in this concert—and more.
Bugs and his animators all had their way with these great composers. They combined the classical compositions and themes with their own scores without, in any way, being disrespectful or derogatory to the original compositions. They made this great music totally irresistible—and unforgettable—to kids (and adults) who weren’t normally drawn to classical music.
What about as adults? How did that music “stick with” kids as they grew up?
If you go out on the street and sing Wagner’s “The Ride of The Valkyries” to 100 people, I bet you that 90 of them will immediately say “Kill da Wabbit, Kill da Wabbit!” and 10 will say—“Oh, yeah, Wagner!” So people definitely were paying attention to the music. (By the same token, with no disrespect to Rossini, there is a reason that The Barber of Seville Overture has been used on a million comedic television commercials, and that is because of the indelible throwback to Bugs, Elmer and “The Rabbit of Seville.”)
So, the truly magical thing about these cartoons—and the music—is that they are as equally appealing to first-time concertgoers as they are to seasoned classical music aficionados. And actually, it’s the savvy classical music fans who REALLY get the “inside musical jokes.”
Carl Stalling is well known as the man behind the music in these cartoons. What was his genius?
Well, for starters, he really was a genius. People throw that word around all the time these days, but in his case, it was and is totally true. He was an impeccably trained classical musician, but at the same time, he started in film music as a theatre organist at the age of 12. He was there when music and film were first joined together.
Most importantly, there is nothing “cartoony” about the music, other than the animated visuals. His music is actually extremely difficult—very virtuosic. Stalling also had a wry musical sense of humour that was incredibly sophisticated. He knew exactly when to unleash the full fury of the entire orchestra, and he also knew when to apply a minimalist touch for even more stunning effect.
A prime example is when Wile E. Coyote takes the plunge from some mountaintop or other—which happens invariably in every Road Runner cartoon. As Wile is falling, the orchestra usually follows him right down the precipice with a cascading crescendo of furious chromatics. And just when the Coyote hits bottom and you expect a REALLY big crash of music, Stalling just has the alto flute play a pianissimo toot. The restraint . . . the unexpected restraint . . . magnifies the effect immeasurably.
Do you think Stalling has gotten the recognition he deserves?
Only in recent years, from the perspective of the general public. I think during the time the cartoons were actually made, and for a couple of decades afterwards, he was sort of flying under the radar of audiences in general. But he was always an icon to musicians, to film lovers and to his colleagues within the world of animation. Perhaps one of the most amazing accolades about Stalling, in fact, came from the great Warner Bros. Animation director Chuck Jones himself—who once told me that if given the option of watching one of his own legendary cartoons in silence with no music OR of listening to Carl Stalling’s music from one of his cartoons, with no picture—that Chuck would have, any day, picked Carl’s music and a blank screen. I’m not sure that any accolade is more than that.
So the appreciation among industry insiders was always there. But then in the late 1980s, there was a real explosion of recognition of his work, and acknowledgement of his incredible musical talents. I like to think that our concert was part of that, since in our original 1990 incarnation as “Bugs Bunny On Broadway,” we were the first project to ever put his remarkable compositions and cartoons onto the concert stage with live symphony orchestras. It was a revelation to many to hear his work played live—you could hear so much more of the stunning musical and orchestral details than in the single-track mono studio recordings from the 1930s and 40s.
“The Carl Stalling Project,” which came out on CD and cassette (remember those?) in 1989–90, also gave people a really intense look at his work and his genius. So, in a way, Carl Stalling is like many great composers who weren’t widely recognized during their own lifetimes, but became iconic to later generations. But make no mistake about it—lovers of film music and lovers of animation have always lauded his work. Musicians, especially, have always championed him. I think many people consider him to be one of the greatest film composers ever—not just cartoons, but of any films. He is at the top of a very select list of the most beloved and prolific film composers in history. He is up there with the greatest of all of them, so it is wonderful to see him finally receive the credit he so richly deserves.
How do people react to the show?
With great enthusiasm and exuberance. Let’s put it this way . . . “Bugs Bunny at The Symphony” is not one of those concerts where the conductor goes ballistic if a cell phone goes off. In fact, it would be hard to HEAR a cellphone over the ACME TNT explosions reverberating from the animation sound effects soundtrack. So, needless to say, the experience is very visceral compared to the restrained quiet of normal concert hall etiquette—our audiences whoop, they holler, they laugh a lot and they applaud even more. They have been known to sing along with Bugs or Elmer. We feel a very special connection with our audiences.
While it is a symphonic concert, it is also a cinematic experience, and audience reaction, laughter, participation, is a huge part of that experience. These cartoons were originally made to be seen in packed movie palaces of the 1940s and 1950s, and were timed to have audience reaction. They are timed for applause, for laughter. So as wonderful as it may be to watch the cartoons in Blu-Ray at home on one’s 60 inch plasma screen, the real experience—the authentic experience—is to see them with a huge audience sharing in the experience.
What’s new in Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II?
With the addition of two absolutely brilliant CGI/3D cartoons—“I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat” and “Coyote Falls”—audiences are able to see two brand new cartoons that most have never seen before. And although they use new technology, they have been lovingly created in the timeless, perfect Looney Tunes style that has always imbued these brilliant 7-minute cinematic jewels. So these two new cartoons have been making our audiences very happy . . . a new experience to combine with the beloved classic cartoons they already knew so well.
With the latest rendition of the show, the audiences also really love getting more of Daffy Duck. His comic brilliance is undeniable, but he has not been featured prominently in our past concerts because, honestly, he never stops talking, which makes it hard to perform music around his (as Granny calls it) “constant jabbering.” But most recently, we’ve gotten a technical handle on how to make Daffy work in a concert setting—so this latest edition has three absolutely iconic, fabulous Daffy epics . . . “Show Biz Bugs,” “Robin Hood Daffy,” and a true masterpiece . . . “Duck Amuck.” Our Daffy fans are finally happy!
But the cartoons that have always been “pillars” of our concert—“What’s Opera, Doc?”, “The Rabbit of Seville,” “Baton Bunny,” “Rhapsody Rabbit” and others—are still an indelible part of our production. I think our audiences would riot if we ever removed those stalwarts, which are considered by many to be the most brilliant cartoons ever created in the history of animation.